Grant Opportunities

2013 Research Funding Priorities

The ADDF funds four different categories of research:  Drug Discovery (target validation; high throughput screening; medicinal chemistry, including  hit to lead development and lead optimization; in vitro and in vivo studies of efficacy, ADME, toxicology, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics; and in vivo proof-of-concept with lead compounds and biologics), Early Detection (development of biomarkers to accelerate drug development and early diagnosis), Clinical Trials (innovative pilot clinical trials) and Prevention (targeted pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches to prevention).

With regards to potential drug targets:

• The ADDF is interested in novel targets and therapeutic approaches for Alzheimer’s disease, related dementias and cognitive aging.  These areas include, but are not limited to: Energy utilization/mitochondria function, insulin sensitivity, protein degradation/autophagy, ApoE function and cholesterol metabolism, vesicular trafficking, inflammatory pathways, synaptic function/morphology, calcium regulation, myelin changes, ischemia and oxidative stress, vascular injury, the blood-brain barrier interface, and translatable biomarkers.
• The ADDF has limited interest in funding anti-amyloid approaches, including anti-amyloid aggregation programs, Abeta vaccine development and beta or gamma-secretase inhibition programs.  The ADDF also has limited interest in funding cholinesterase inhibitor programs.

Programs areas of particular interest include:

• Repurposing – Testing drugs approved for other indications in Alzheimer’s disease preclinical models or in human clinical trials.  Proposals should be hypothesis driven and drugs chosen for testing should target a mechanism of action(s) common to both diseases.
• Developing new compounds for Alzheimer’s disease – Requires BOTH a medicinal chemist and a biologist as co-PIs/collaborators.  The program should focus on new scaffolds, synthetic approaches of chemical entities designed for AD-related targets, improving CNS-focused chemical libraries, and optimizing novel lead compounds.
• Preclinical proof-of-concept – Testing of novel lead compounds in animal models.  Study design should be clearly outlined along the lines of an exploratory or therapeutic animal study as described in the ADDF’s recent publication, Accelerating Drug Discovery for Alzheimer’s Disease: Best Practices for Preclinical Animal Studies. Whenever possible, studies should include pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) testing, an a priori hypothesis and primary and secondary outcomes measures, and a statistical design plan including power analysis.
• Pilot clinical trials (please apply through our Program to Accelerate Clinical Trials (PACT) RFP) – Early stage proof of concept clinical studies testing novel therapies in human patients. The program must include biomarkers in the study design that are tied to the mechanism of the drug being tested. *Please note the PACT RFP has a budget exception and funding requests up to $1M are permitted.

The ADDF welcomes potential applicants to direct proposal ideas, questions and comments to:
Diana Shineman, PhD, Assistant Director for Scientific Affairs (DShineman@alzdiscovery.org)

General Application Guidelines

Application Instructions

Supporting Instructions to the Investigator

Compound Report Card

The ADDF adheres to several broad guidelines in accepting and evaluating grant applications.

1. A Letter of Intent is required to determine ADDF’s interest prior to a full application. If the submitted Letter of Intent is not consistent with our mission, a full proposal will not be invited.
2. Letters of Intent to the General RFP are accepted throughout the year.  Review cycles are held quarterly.
3. Grants are typically approved for one year. For certain situations, such as for clinical trials, multiyear grants may be considered. Grantees may apply for renewal/follow-on funding.
4. Support is provided for personnel costs, supplies (i.e., consumables, chemicals, animals), small non-durable equipment up to $2,500, consultants, and patient costs related to clinical trials.
5. Support is not provided for indirect costs/overhead, capital equipment, equipment service contracts, publication costs, or travel.
6. Contact our Grants staff regarding questions about indirect costs/overhead.
7. Funded researchers must submit scientific and financial progress reports on a semi-annual basis.

Applicants who wish to be considered for an Academic or Biotechnology grant must comply with the following procedure:

1. Complete an electronic Letter of Intent.  (Conference proposals do not require an LOI.)
2. After the Letter of Intent is recognized and reviewed by ADDF, the applicant will receive an email with a link to the electronic application forms to submit a full proposal. The applicant must fill out the forms electronically and submit them via the website.
3. Please read all of the instructions carefully (see link below) and contact Niyati Thakker, Grants Associate, with any questions.

Upon receipt of the application, the ADDF will begin the scientific review process. We will attempt to make a determination of interest within 90 days of the proposal deadline.

Once ADDF receives the application materials, the application is initially reviewed by the ADDF’s scientific staff.  Selected applications are then submitted to the ADDF’s Scientific Review Board to conduct a written review. For applications from biotechnology companies, additional reviewers also are invited from the Business Advisory Board to assess the management and viability of the company from a business perspective.

The ADDF regrets that we are not able to fund all grant proposals, though every effort is made to provide constructive feedback to our applicants.

Open RFPs

• The ADDF accepts LOIs for the “General Request for Proposals” research award programs throughout  the year. 2013 deadlines for full proposals are January 22, March 5, June 5, September  5, and December 5. LOIs are due two weeks before the proposal deadlines.  See RFP.

• The ADDF has created the Program to Accelerate Clinical Trials (PACT) to increase the number of  innovative drugs tested in humans at the crucial phase IIa (proof of concept) stage for Alzheimer’s  disease. This program will fund biomarker-based, phase IIa proof-of-concept pilot clinical trials for  Alzheimer’s disease. 2013 deadlines for full proposals are January 22, March 5, June 5,  September 5, and December 5. LOIs are due two weeks before the proposal  deadlines. Click here for more information.

• Research investigating the pathologic mechanisms of neurodegeneration in frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and related disorders is advancing, creating new potential targets for drug discovery. The Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) and The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD) seek to accelerate and support drug discovery for FTD and related dementias through this Request for Proposals (RFP) 2013 deadline is September 5. LOIs are due two weeks before the proposal deadline. See full RFP here.

• The Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) and the Robert and Renée Belfer Family Foundation established The ADDF/Belfer ApoE Therapeutics Innovation Program to accelerate the development of novel therapeutics specifically designed to target apoE pathological mechanisms. This program will allow the ADDF to substantially build on its strategic investment in apoE drug discovery and development and will support both preclinical and clinical stage programs. 2013 deadlines for full proposals are January 22, March 5, June 5, September 5, and December 5. LOIs are due two weeks before the proposal deadlines. See full RFP here.

• Beginning with applications reviewed by the NIH in calendar year 2011, the ADDF will consider  financial assistance for relevant NIH grant applications that were scored but not funded in response  to certain NIH funding opportunities.  Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Click here for  more information.

Academic Grants

(Submit your LOI below.)

The ADDF Academic Drug Discovery and Development Program seeks to create and support innovative translational research programs for Alzheimer’s disease, related dementias and cognitive aging in academic medical centers and universities. Biomarker development studies and innovative proof of concept pilot clinical trials of new approaches to treatment, prevention and early detection are also supported.

Application Instructions

Supporting Instructions to the Investigator

Compound Report Card

Submit Letter of Intent (online form)

Biotechnology Grants

(Submit your LOI below.)

ADDF helps to create new biotechnology companies, and to fund early stage biotechnology companies, with programs dedicated to Alzheimer’s disease drug discovery. Funding is provided through program-related investments (PRIs) that require return on investment based upon scientific and/or business milestones. When these milestones are met, funds return to the ADDF to increase our ability to support more research.  Terms of PRIs may vary.  Please read the ADDF’s PRI Policy Statement here.

• ADDF Biotechnology Development Program supports qualified scientific projects in existing, private, early-stage biotechnology companies. ADDF will provide support for qualified projects in more advanced companies if a clear need for non-profit funding to support the project within the company can be demonstrated and justified. All funds must be used for scientific program purposes, and cannot be used as unrestricted funding to the company.
• ADDF Biotechnology Founders Technology Transfer Program supports academic programs that are eligible for technology transfer and the startup of new biotechnology companies with programs dedicated to Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Up to 35% of funds from these awards may be employed for expenses related to company formation, such as administrative, legal, patent and third-party vendor costs.

Application Instructions

Supporting Instructions to the Investigator

Compound Report Card

Submit Letter of Intent (online form)

Forms to be used
when submitting complete
applicationWord Documents
Budget and Justification Form Biographical Sketch Form Work Plan Delivery Form

Conference Grants

The ADDF initiates, sponsors, and co-sponsors conferences to stimulate new ideas and approaches in areas of interest. Conferences bring together outstanding physicians, scientists, and policy makers from the U.S. and the international community.

Submit Proposal (online form)

Frequently Asked Questions

I. General Information:

Q. What are your funding priorities?

A. Please refer here for our 2013 funding priorities.

Q. What types of institutions do you fund?

A. We fund both academic institutions (including non-profit research centers) as well as for-profit biotechnology companies.

Q. Do you fund internationally?

A. Yes, we fund both academic and biotechnology organizations internationally.

Q. How large are your grants and how long are they for?

A. Academic grants average $150,000 per year for up to two years, and the biotechnology grants average $200,000-$300,000 per year for up to two years.  Budgets are carefully reviewed along with the corresponding work plan and applicants may be asked to revise their budgets during the review process.

Q. What is the application process?

A. Applicants must submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) through our online system in order to create a record and provide a preliminary overview of the project.  LOIs are typically reviewed internally. If within the scope of our funding priorities, the applicant will receive an email with an invitation to submit a full proposal.  Application instructions will be provided, as well as forms for the workplan, budget, and biographical sketch, and other required materials. Biotechnology applications require additional materials. Applications are then reviewed internally or externally by our Scientific Review Board (SRB) members.

Please view our application instructions:

Application Instructions

Supporting Instructions to the Investigator

Compound Report Card

Q. What are your application deadlines?

A. LOIs are accepted on a rolling basis, but must be submitted at least 2 weeks before the full proposal deadline to be considered for that cycle. For 2013, the proposal deadlines are January 22, March 5, June 5, September 5, and December 5. Proposals must be electronically submitted on the ADDF website by 11:59pm EST on the day of the deadline. Proposals submitted afterwards will be reviewed in the next cycle.

Q. When should I expect to hear the outcome of my application?

A. We make every effort to notify applicants within 90 days of the proposal deadline, and to provide useful feedback from the reviewers.

Q. If my application is approved for funding, when will my grant start?

A. The earliest start date is typically the 1^st day of the 4^th month after the deadline.  This date can be revised at a later time if needed if the application is selected for funding.

Q. Do I need to submit a hard copy of the application?

A. No, we no longer require a hard copy.

Q. How many times can I apply in one calendar year?

A. Applicants can apply for each review cycle, but cannot have more than one application per review.

Q. Can renewal grants or follow-on funding be considered?

A. Yes.  However, the renewal proposal will follow the same application and review process.

II. Letters of Intent:

Q. Do I need to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) before submitting a full proposal?

A. Yes, we require that you submit an LOI.  After a preliminary review of your LOI, if we find that your research fits with our current funding priorities, we will invite you to submit a full application.

Q. If I submit an LOI for a proposal deadline, but cannot finish my application in time, will I need to submit a new LOI for the next deadline?

A. No, you do not need to submit a new LOI for the next deadline, unless the proposed work has changed. However, we only keep an LOI open in our system for one additional proposal deadline. After two missed deadlines, the LOI is removed from our system and you will need to resubmit an LOI for the following deadline.

III. Completing Your Application:

Q. How long should the body of the application be?

A. The body of the application should be no longer than 10 pages of written text, not including figures, other support, or references.

Q. Can figures be included in the body of the application, or should they be presented in a separate appendix?

A. Whichever you prefer.  The figures won’t be counted toward the page limit.

Q. Is there a page limit on the biographical sketch/CV?

A. No.

Q. Who should I include biographical sketches for?

A. We require biographical sketches for the key personnel on the grant, such as the PIs and co-PIs. We do not need the CVs of administrative contacts or research support.

Q. What information should I include for the co-PIs?

A. For the co-PIs, include a biographical sketch, a description of the significant contributor’s role on the project in the budget justification, and if they are requesting a salary, the co-PIs’ other support and percent effort so we can determine possible overlap.

Q. What should I include in the “Affiliations” section” on the biosketch form?

A. Affiliations can mean board memberships, memberships in professional organizations, etc.

Q. Can I still submit my application if IACUC/IRB approval is pending?

A. Yes. Confirmation of IACUC/IRB approval is only necessary prior to releasing the first grant payment, if the proposal is selected for funding. You may make a note of the pending approval on your application.

Q. If I am applying for a two-year grant, do I need to submit a budget and workplan for each year?

A. Yes, we require that you submit a separate budget and workplan for each year of requested funding.

Q. If my application is a resubmission, do I need to include any additional information?

A. Yes, please include a written response to the reviewers’ comments from the original application. This can be uploaded as an Appendix.

Q. How do I upload multiple Appendix items?

A. You do not need to put the appendix items into one document. The system will let you upload multiple individual documents for this section.

IV. Biotechnology Applications:

Q. How many years of financial statements are required?

A. We require at least the statements from the last completed year.

Q. What do you mean by annual budget?

A. We are typically interested in a basic operating budget / projection of revenue & expenses for the current year.

Q. How current should the Capitalization Table be?

A. As recent as available.

Q. How much information do you need for the “Description of investors to date”?

A. The “Description of investors to date” can simply be a list of individuals/organization names and amounts.  This section can also include other revenue sources, such as foundations, government funding agencies, etc.

Q. What do we do if we do not have any of the documents you are asking for?

A. Please upload a brief explanation in place of the required document.

V. Contacts:

For application submission inquiries, please contact:

Niyati Thakker  |  Grants Manager

(212) 901-8019

(212) 901-8007

dshineman@alzdiscovery.org